[Jacob-list] Hay issue

[Meg Steensland]

Round bales handling:  I buy 2 at a time from the Belgian horse farm across the highway and Roger puts them over the fence with the forks on his backhoe.  But in June Roger had back surgery so I had buy and handle my own bales with the help of the delivery guy using a small JD with a hay fork and 2 people to do gates and control sheep.

Sm sq bales in OH run from 40-65 # and cost roughly $2 but prices are going UP now.  I got some really stemy stuff a few weeks ago and only a few sheep seem to like it.  A grain farmer gave me a beautiful bale of alfalfa hay a few weeks ago as a reward for finding his hay shovel on the highway and figuring out it belonged to him.  I am feeding ithis sparingly and will go back to see if I can buy some from his source as a special feed

I have used alfalfa cubes and the sheep aren't keen on them, even wetting/soaking does not seem to help.  A couple of lamas like them, tho.  The ducks will also eat them soaked.

I have not used tubs, but after reading all the posts here, I may get some for lambing.  I grain year round - for flock maagement as well as nutrition.  This means I have to walk among the sheep and they do not fear me and I can notice if someone isn't eating eagerly or seems to be getting picked on.

Victoria da Roza <castlerockjacobs at yahoo.com> wrote: How in the world do you handle the 6' high and 4' wide
bales?
   The $17 bales were last year. I must tell you that
I live in a suburban area and Robin lives in the midle
of where they grow hay so she gets a better deal. 
this year I am paying higher than her for my hay but I
can tell you the bales are heavy.  When it gets
delivered, because Robert is 78 and I am 61, we need
to hire 2 helpers to store it but even with that, we
are not paying $17 this year.  We have not had much
rain so far so do not know what the hay crop will be
like this year.
   They must be selling lots less at the feedstore now
because I got my neighbor who runs a stable to go with
this farmer too and we split the delivery charge.  I
do switch to alphalfa when the babies are born till
the mom's get done nursing.  Since it is so cold now
they also get alphalfa at least once a week.  
Victoria
--- "Joy Thomas, SonRise Farm"
 wrote:


> I arrange with my hay man to deliver "x" round bales

> before the winter mud and ice set in. I currently

> have

> four 6 foot high x 4 foot wide bales covered with

> bale

> bonnets and tarps waiting to be used. I have one in

> with horse and sheep with a round bale feeder. It's

> the blue kind with sides that "slide in". Works well

> with sheep and horse and angora goats. We roll the

> round bales in one at a time into the area where the

> critters eat. Stored round bales are not in paddock

> with any critters, but in a resting paddock (that

> has

> been overseeded, fertilized and is ready to grow in

> the spring). We store the round bales on wooden

> pallets, so they are not directly on the ground.

> 

> I also have "x" square bales delivered and stacked

> in

> my barn for rabbits, ewes in lambing jugs and as

> "extra" hay in case round bales don't last as long

> as

> I estimated.

> 

> I base my estimate on prior year's usage, head count

> of critters, how many will need pregnancy/gestation

> and lactation rations, etc.

> 

> Think it's learning to think like a farmer!

> 

> $17 a bale! YIKES! That's more than my daughter pays

> for horse hay in Connecticut!

> 

> Joy

> www.shepherdofspots.com

> Home of The Fiber Flock

> 

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Victoria
Castle Rock Farm
Jacob Sheep & Nigerian Dwarf Goats
www.castlerockfarm.net

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